Marques D. Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship

$605
1 winner$605
Awarded
Application Deadline
Apr 6, 2025
Winners Announced
May 6, 2025
Education Level
High School
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school senior
State:
Florida
Background:
Active member of school chorus or a music, theater, or arts program
GPA:
2.9 or higher

Marques Rodriguez was a beloved son who passed away in a tragic car accident on June 11, 2023, at the age of just sixteen.

Marques had a passion for singing and was part of his high school chorus at First Coast High School. He is remembered now as the heart of the chorus family, brightening the lives of all he worked with through his passion and kindness.

This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Marques D. Rodriguez by supporting students who share his love for artistic pursuits.

Any high school senior who is a Florida resident with at least a 2.9 GPA may apply for this scholarship if they’re an active member of their school chorus or a music, theater, or arts program.

To apply, tell us about yourself, why you love your form of art, and what your post-high school goals are.

Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Drive, Passion
Published November 6, 2024
Essay Topic

Please tell us about yourself and why you love singing, music, art, etc. What are your goals after high school?

400–600 words

Winning Application

Louie John Granado
Nature Coast Technical HighSpring Hill, FL
Art is a special interest of mine, years of practice and dedication placed into a creative I truly enjoy has been a wonderful journey ever since I picked up a pen. Creativity was instilled in me growing up, I enjoyed collecting sketchbooks and art materials to create these wild imaginations that were flooding my mind with curiosity and wonder, I began to draw many things such as monsters and ghouls or robots and cartoon characters. These pieces began messy and crude but over time I taught myself through art books, cartoons, music, and my knack for observation. As a kid i was quiet, isolated, and prefer to be by myself, I always closed myself out from people due to my fears and trauma which lead me to become sad, enraged, and frustrated that i cant truly express myself the I truly want to. Then, i discovered a painting from a certain artist, the painting presented a branch of an almond tree blossoming its flowers in a bright blue background. I was entranced by its beauty, the complex lines and its bright colors inspired me to express myself in a new way, a way that was enjoyable and challenging enough for me that id be hooked for life. Books upon books about their history and lives gave me the know how to create art, but not exactly the skills to do so, I decided then and there to follow my dream of art and to express myself in the way they do, to create pieces that gives me happiness and to inspire others to follow the arts and to help others express themselves. For the first couple of years since i began it was rough and challenging. I had unsteady hands and a gnawing fear of perfection, that i must create a piece that i approved of. I nearly gave up many times thinking that maybe the arts wasn't for me, but then i realized something. Vincent Van Gogh, a tragic artist who thought his works were nothing but insignificant and bleak painted the most famous pieces of our time such as the Starry Night, Almond Blossoms, Cafe Terrace at Night and his many self-portraits had never truly given up at creating art. He was riddled with fear and anger for his craft, but he transformed those emotions into loud and vibrant pieces that still are remembered up to this day. When i realized that i suddenly saw the world in a much different color, it was like a dewdrop fell Infront of me and blinded me with color and inspiration in that very moment. I began to understand art was truly for me and i began to fall in love with it every single day since then, I picked up a pen and began my 16-year journey into honing my craft and using it to shape the world as i know it. I used many mediums to create so many pieces of art, starting from a sketchbook then to a canvas and now a digital tablet. Medium after medium i practiced and did my best that i won many awards in art competitions i was apart of, it finally clicked on me that the arts were my talent, my joy, and my expression to show the world that i can shape it and prove to myself that i can do it. To close this essay, I wish to pursue an art degree for college and to work for a graphic design job so i can keep learning the craft i truly love and the craft i worked hard for.
Isabella Lopez
St Petersburg CollegeClearwater, FL
Music has changed everything about the way I see things. Not a day goes by when I don't think of lyrics from a song I know or wrote that relate to what I'm doing. Music is ingrained in me and I love it. I love listening to music. So many different genres and styles and lyrics and meanings. I’m most certainly one of those people who can go from listening to a soft piano piece to fast-paced rock music. Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to write music. Until last year, I’d never written anything good. Recently our worship team started writing songs together and on our own. So far we’ve written at least 40 songs or parts of songs. Since I started writing, I felt that I had become closer in my relationship with God. Since music has been so involved in my life whether it’s writing it or just listening to it, whenever I’m going through a tough spot or just doing life in general, I think about the songs that I listen to and the words that I’ve written myself and I apply them to those moments. Music is such a key part of my day-to-day that even when I’m not actively thinking about it, songs are playing in my head. In a way, music almost romanticizes the way I see things in my day to day. In movies, there is always background music during passing scenes, emotional scenes, or chaotic scenes. I feel that I do that to myself during the day. If I’m not doing anything I’m just thinking to myself while “playing” music in the background. Sometimes at night if I’m having a sad conversation I'll think of a song that fits the mood or lyrically fits the situation. As I’m getting older and deciding what to do with my future, I've been thinking about how to keep music as my passion. I know it’s unlikely that I would make a substantial amount of money by becoming an artist, so I have decided to go to school to learn other skills that will help me become financially stable. However, this absolutely does not mean I will quit music. While I’m in college, I will have more time than I did in high school to write music. All the free time I have, I’m going to use it to write songs and hopefully end up producing them myself or hiring someone to help me. (And for a little addition at the end of my essay, I enjoy many different forms of art. I have spent the last ten years of my life painting on whatever I could get my hands on. I've made little pigs out of clay. I like designing Instagram posts for my singing account. I enjoy photography and using Photoshop to make cool images. I had this lyric wall that I made last year, where I took lyrics I was relating to and pinned them up on my wall. Art comes in many forms, and I can't even mention all the little things I do in my every day that are their own forms of art. Life itself is art, and I love it.)

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Apr 6, 2025. Winners will be announced on May 6, 2025.